Irresponsibility Chapter 4.6

Ah….

Yeoun’s face took on a sudden look of realization.

Sitting side by side with the man he once feared like the Grim Reaper, playing games heatedly, and finding it fun. There was definitely a time when he was busy holding back screams every time he saw Baek Geonhyuk.

Joo Yeoun gazed steadily at Baek Geonhyuk’s face, which was looking up at him. The seemingly cool eyes curved smoothly, and the corners of his mouth rose gently.

Even though he thought he had seen his smiling face many times, in that moment, the smile he was making felt unfamiliar.

*

CONGRATULATION!!

“Wow!”

Joo Yeoun let out a cry of excitement without even realizing it. He had finally cleared the last stage.

Fuck, we did it. Baek Geonhyuk, who had dropped the joystick on the floor as if throwing it, looked at Joo Yeoun. And his eyes widened.

“Hey. S, should we register our record?”

Baek Geonhyuk stared blankly at Joo Yeoun’s face as he asked in an excited voice. His round eyes were sparkling, his cheeks were rosy, and the corners of his mouth were turned up in a small curl.

A festival erupted in the game to celebrate clearing the last stage. Bang, bang, as fireworks went off, colorful shadows were cast on his white face. The shadows curved along with his smile.

Baek Geonhyuk barely tore his gaze away from the white face and looked at the TV. He let out a belated reply.

“Uh… sure. How do you do it?”

“Don’t touch it. You’ll e, erase it again.”

A white hand that had approached urgently pushed his hand away slightly. As he looked at the spot where the light touch had landed, something ticklish burrowed into his ear. It was a small laugh that seemed to be from genuine amusement. That short sound swept through his ear and swam slowly.

“I’m putting in our initials.”

Click, click, click, click. The fingers holding the stick moved quickly to enter the initials. Baek Geonhyuk glanced at those fingers, then looked at the side profile that was staring intently at the TV screen. His gaze lingered even more deeply on the slightly curled corners of his mouth.

“All done.”

Only when Joo Yeoun said, “All done,” did Baek Geonhyuk turn his head to look at the TV.

“Are those other people?”

“Yeah. W, we’re 92nd.”

At the added remark that they had made it into the top 100, a grin spread across his face.

“Really? Then we should have a celebration party.”

“S, should we?”

Normally, Joo Yeoun would have thought, “What party,” but right now, he was in a good mood. After drinking the milk next to him, Yeoun picked up an individually wrapped cookie. As he was opening the wrapper, his hand felt a little stiff, and when he looked at it, Baek Geonhyuk immediately showed interest.

“Ah…. It’s just a little stiff.”

“Give it here.”

At Baek Geonhyuk’s words, Joo Yeoun held out his hand. At that, a large hand approached and gently took hold of his hand. When his body tensed with a flinch at the touch, Baek Geonhyuk carefully studied his expression.

His shoulders, which had been raised high, gradually lowered. Joo Yeoun watched the large hand, which looked like it could cover both of his hands at once, move with great care.

“Joo Yeoun has a strong competitive streak, for real.”

Baek Geonhyuk said, amused.

Yesterday too, after playing games for several hours, his hand had felt stiff. So he had suggested they stop, but Joo Yeoun had frowned.

‘I, I have to endure it.’

We have to clear this stage today. At his serious words, Baek Geonhyuk had burst out laughing and ruffled Joo Yeoun’s hair.

“Y, you. I heard you swearing earlier.”

“Ah. You heard?”

“I thought f, fire was going to come out of your eyes.”

Baek Geonhyuk chuckled lowly. As his broad shoulders shook, Yeoun’s hand, held by his, also bobbed up and down.

Joo Yeoun’s gaze fell on his hand again. Recently, since he had been giving him hot packs, he had gotten used to entrusting his hand to him, but the feeling of their hands touching was a little different.

Every time the rough fingertips pressed against the joints of his fingers, he felt a faint, aching sensation in his chest. It seemed a little different from feeling scared, but if he had to choose, it was closer to feeling uncomfortable.

“Why. Are you scared?”

Baek Geonhyuk asked when Joo Yeoun pulled his hand back. Since he had been holding it lightly, the slender hand slipped out easily.

“S, scared of what.”

Joo Yeoun opened his eyes wide, pretending he hadn’t been uncomfortable at all. At that, Baek Geonhyuk smiled slightly and handed him the cookie that Joo Yeoun had put down after trying to open it. Joo Yeoun took the cookie with just his index finger and thumb to avoid touching him.

Baek Geonhyuk, who let out a low laugh, stroked Joo Yeoun’s hair. With the hand that completely covered the crown of his head still there, Joo Yeoun ate the cookie.

“Should I go get some beer from next door?”

“…B, beer?”

“You don’t drink beer?”

Baek Geonhyuk tilted his head. Joo Yeoun blinked, then said hesitantly.

“I, I drink beer.”

At that, Baek Geonhyuk said, “Keep eating, I’ll go get some beer,” and stood up. Joo Yeoun glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was 10 o’clock. They had been playing games for about three hours straight after dinner. It had been like that for the past few days.

Joo Yeoun glanced at the half-open sliding door and frowned. This is a bit strange. It felt like he had gotten closer to Baek Geonhyuk than necessary.

I should have said I don’t drink beer. I can’t exactly say I won’t drink it after he’s gone and gotten it. Yeoun let out a deep sigh and rolled his eyes.

His gaze soon turned to the kitchen. The dirty dishes were still in the sink.

After dinner earlier, Yeoun had sat down right in front of the TV. Since it was a game he couldn’t play alone, he was staring blankly at the screen waiting for Baek Geonhyuk, when he suddenly felt a gaze on him. Baek Geonhyuk was leaning against the sink, looking at him. With a slight frown and a smile, he had walked over and sat down next to him.

‘Let’s hurry up and play.’

After looking at him for a moment as he gestured with his chin, Yeoun had also turned his gaze to the TV.

“……”

Joo Yeoun put away the game console and stood in front of the sink. There weren’t that many dishes, so it seemed like he could finish quickly.

He had just turned on the water and lathered the sponge.

Slide. Hearing the sound of the sliding door, Yeoun turned around. Baek Geonhyuk was holding two cans of beer in each hand.

“What are you doing?”

“T, trying to do the dishes.”

Baek Geonhyuk glanced at the hand holding the sponge, then placed the beer cans on the table and approached. He reflexively moved back a little, but he came as close as he had retreated and stood right next to him.

And at the touch that lightly grabbed his wrist, Yeoun dropped the sponge he was holding. His sudsy fingers flinched slightly.

Whoosh. Baek Geonhyuk guided his hand under the stream of water pouring from the faucet. Joo Yeoun quietly followed the sight of the suds on his fingers being washed away by the water.

Or perhaps he was following the large hand that was gently rubbing and washing away the suds. In the white, fluffy suds, even the rough fingertips felt soft.

Click. The sound of the water stopped. Joo Yeoun blinked his eyes like a person who had just come to his senses.

“What should we have for snacks.”

A low voice burrowed into his ear. When he raised his head to look, Baek Geonhyuk met his eyes.

“They say you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach.”

“…The, the doctor?”

He nodded and dried Yeoun’s hand. He wrapped the entire hand in a towel and gently massaged it.

“It’s j, just beer, so it should be fine.”

Joo Yeoun said as he slowly pulled his hand out.

Even though he said it was fine, Baek Geonhyuk insisted on finding some sausages in the refrigerator. As he was grilling the sausages in a frying pan, feeling like he should do something too, he peeked from behind him, and Baek Geonhyuk turned his head and looked at him.

Joo Yeoun immediately turned his back, pretending not to have seen him, and looked for something else to do. He brought the beer cans to the table in front of the sofa and also brought the tray he had been eating cookies on and placed it there. Then he glanced at Baek Geonhyuk, and he was holding the frying pan in one hand, staring at him intently.

He was startled. As his body trembled, Baek Geonhyuk’s gaze carefully studied his face. Pressing down his startled heart, he slowly blinked his eyes, and he too started to walk.

He was about to place the frying pan directly on the table, so Joo Yeoun said, “Wait a minute,” and frantically looked around. He happened to see the book he had been reading a little earlier in the day and had closed, so he pulled it to the center. At that, Baek Geonhyuk tilted his head and looked at the book cover.

“That’s not what I bought for you to use as a trivet.”

“……”

In truth, Joo Yeoun was far from being a reader. He had thought about reading a little out of boredom, but as soon as he opened the book, he felt a wave of drowsiness and quickly closed it and took a nap.

He bought it for me to read, so is it a bit wrong to use it as a trivet? Joo Yeoun surreptitiously grabbed the corner of the book and pulled. At the sight of him trying to take the book back, Baek Geonhyuk let out a small laugh.

“Move your hand.” He said as he nonchalantly placed the frying pan on the book and blocked the top with one hand.

“It’s hot.”

Who doesn’t know that? Looking at the face that was darting its eyes, Baek Geonhyuk raised the corners of his mouth.

“Congratulations. 92nd place.”

“Yeah….”

Clink. The beer cans bumped together with a slightly dull sound. Joo Yeoun fidgeted with the cold can and glanced at it for a moment, then lowered his eyes and brought it to his lips.

Was he thirsty? Several gulps went down, gulp, gulp. When he placed the can on the table, a refreshing breath escaped, “Haa.”

To think that the beer tastes good in a situation like this.

“Is this a new movie?”

As he was frowning in a sudden fit of self-loathing, Baek Geonhyuk said, looking at the TV. Joo Yeoun, who had inadvertently looked, widened his eyes.

“T, this is a f, famous one.”

“Is it?”

“Let’s watch this,” Baek Geonhyuk said and put down the remote. Then he turned off the living room lights. The kitchen light was on, so it wasn’t completely dark.

Joo Yeoun sipped his beer and fixed his gaze on the TV. At that moment, something moved below his line of sight, and when he glanced down, Baek Geonhyuk was holding out a bite-sized piece of sausage on a pair of chopsticks.

Joo Yeoun took the chopsticks and put the sausage in his mouth. It was a movie he had been disappointed he couldn’t see in the theater, so his eyes remained fixed on the TV. He chewed on the moderately warm sausage and took a sip of beer.

There was a reason popular movies were popular. Joo Yeoun watched the movie without moving an inch from his spot until the ending credits rolled. It was two hours with no room for boredom.

“That was fun.”

“Yeah….”

Joo Yeoun nodded as he reached into the bag of snacks. At that moment, Baek Geonhyuk turned on the light. As the living room brightened, the messy table with empty beer cans and snacks came into full view.